


Silence

by goodnight_dog



Series: Synesthesia [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Deaf!Levi, Drinking, Drug Use, Explicit Sexual Content, Homelessness, M/M, Mental Health Issues, PTSD, Sexual Abuse, Slow Burn, Smoking, Synesthesia, past trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:15:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7614130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodnight_dog/pseuds/goodnight_dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Erwin's eyes lift and find the source of the music across the street, he did not expect the person he finds is playing the violin. The boy – probably no older than twenty – is short and fierce looking. A leather jacket hangs from his body, black jeans torn by time and military boots scuffed. Tattoos peek and piercings glint. Not the type of person to be playing the violin. But he is, effortlessly so. Eyes closed, hips swaying to the beat as a bassline plays from the two portable speakers that crackle with age, but his music overpowers the static. He is mesmerising.</p><p>After becoming ill as a baby and losing all hearing, Levi has struggled in his life. Only just capable of learning sign and having only his two friends able to communicate with him, the best he can do is put his talents to work in hope of them salvaging money for their next meal. But a chance encounter with the owner of the local theater could put them on a rocky path to better things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silence

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! So I ran this idea past my bae recently and he helped me flesh out the ideas and it's actually become something! This is a deaf!Levi eruri AU in which Levi has taught himself to play the guitar, piano and violin. Erwin and Hanji own and work in a theatre, which could possibly give Levi the break he needs.
> 
> It will be very slow burn due to the barriers between Erwin and Levi, and please be aware Levi, Isabel and Farlan have a very horrid back story from living in the street. Please exercise caution while reading this, though I will put notes at the beginning of the chapters which have trigger warnings in them.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments and Kudos ALWAYs appreciated, you guys really keep me going!
> 
> Tumblr: space-vvolf

The wind blew cold drafts into the coffee shop whenever the door squeaked open, tinkling the silver bell above it. Hanji and Erwin had tucked themselves into low leather chairs in a corner, laptops open and small talk between them as they finished up their work for the week in the relative calm of each other's company. For being a high street shop, the place wasn't all too crowded, as people mainly came in for bagels and coffee before hurrying out into the winter cold again. They talk business, talk the weekend, talk who's going to feed the cats while they oversee the set at the theatre.

Occasionally, Erwin is distracted from his typing of emails and drafting up expenses sheets by the sound of distant violin music, but it doesn't last long before the door to the shop swings shut again. They stayed right until chairs began being upturned and leftovers were packed into crates or thrown. The two ordered more coffees to take back to their apartment – Rose Wall Cafe always made them the best – and set off through the bite of the winter towards their complex.

"So we have the two indie bands from downtown next Saturday," Hanji murmured as they flick through their phone calendar, "the Prince Tribute Evening on Sunday, then nothing until the Riverdance on Thursday. Think we should ask around schools and stuff? See if there's any that want to use the place as a venue for Nativity?"

"Good plan," Erwin nodded, voice muffled beneath the scarf around his mouth and chin.

"I'll get on it tomorrow," Hanji nodded, stuffing the phone back into their pocket.

Erwin was only vaguely aware that the more they walked, two trays of four coffees between them, the music was growing louder. He scowled a little, wondering why buskers were out so late in this weather and why the high street security had not moved them on yet. It was not illegal here, by any means, but the common decency to tell them to find shelter was surely a given.

High above their heads, the Christmas lights glowed, only slightly dimmed by the beginnings of falling snow. There's a bell somewhere in the distance of whichever poor soul has to dress as Santa this year and collect money. Erwin feels for them, but then again, with the money trouble he and Hanji faced, he wouldn't be entirely opposed to the idea.

They're halfway down the high street when Erwin's internal drone of thought is cut out abruptly by the shrill of a violin, and he remembers hearing it before. Hanji too is looking for the source of the sound, and halted abruptly. Their hand flapped about in midair for a moment before finding his arm, and he turned in the direction they faced.

When Erwin's eyes lift and find the source of the music across the street, he did not expect the person he finds is playing the violin. 

The boy – probably no older than twenty – is short and fierce looking. A leather jacket hangs from his body, black jeans torn by time and military boots scuffed. Tattoos peek and piercings glint. Not the type of person to be playing the violin. But he is, effortlessly so. Eyes closed, hips swaying to the beat as a bassline plays from the two portable speakers that crackle with age, but his music overpowers the static. He is mesmerising.

"Holy shit," Hanji mumbled with raised eyebrows.

"Holy shit indeed," Erwin echoed, but neither moved closer to the musician.

There are two people with him. One stands against the wall, a mess of red hair pulled into two ponytails. She is bundled up against the cold, lower face buried into a thick scarf and her coat sizes too big, probably stolen or found in the trash. The other one sits on the floor, blonde hair peeking out from beneath his hat, and he scowls down at a bunch of coins and a few bills in his hands, counting them thoroughly as their third friend continues playing.

No one else has yet stopped to watch. These people being out in the freezing cold when they could be seeking shelter doesn't seem to register in anyone's head. And they never once beg. There is no offer of a cup or hat for money to be put in, though the occasional person drops a coin or dollar bill onto the cardboard the blonde one sits on. 

Erwin's eyes eventually fall back onto the violinist, fixated on his hands in particular. His fingers move seamlessly across the strings, and the reflexes in his bow arm to achieve the intense, rapid trills he does is remarkable. Erwin almost can't believe someone this talented is a busker.

He's come across it before; either people offered free entertainment in the streets because they had the money, or people who didn't tried to earn it, but no one gave them a fighting chance. Erwin wished, he truly did, that he could help them – offer up his stage as a way to make big – but in this town on the outskirts of the big city, few opportunities came along and money is scarce as it is.

"Shit, I don't have change," Hanji curses, fishing around in their pockets with their free hand.

"Coffee," Erwin mumbles, to which Hanji throws him a glare, "Hanji, we have eight cups here. We can spare three. Besides, god knows what you'll do hopped up on _this_ much caffine."

Hanji relents and follows the blonde as they track across the empty street to watch the guy play. He keeps his eyes closed, and Erwin admires how entombed he is in the music, curious as to just how wonderful it sounds being that close to the singing strings. It only takes another minute for him to finish, and Hanji hands over the tray of coffee quickly to Erwin so they can clap and cheer.

The boy almost looks startled that people are there to listen, and offers a sheepish smile – Erwin sees the shine of a smiley piercing – and a small bow. The redhead pushes herself from the wall, greeting the boy with a pat on the back and a thumbs up.

"I'm sorry we have no money for you," Erwin apologises, eyes directed at the musician, "But we have plenty of spare coffee. You ought to drink something warm."

The boy is gazing at him owlishly, blinking as though he is lost. _Foreign?_ Erwin thinks with an almost-frown. He glances at Hanji in confusion, and at the same time, the raven turns to his friend. She gasps as though she forgot something, and Erwin's mind clicks into place when she begins signing to the boy.

_Wait, he's deaf? No way – he was playing so fluently. Has he developed hearing impairment? Learnt how to play without ever hearing? Jesus... that's impressive._

"He says its fine," the girl beams up at Erwin, flashing a missing tooth, "No one's really given us coffee before, though it would be nice since we're trying to get money for food and drink."

Smiling and nodding politely, Erwin hands over a full tray of coffee to the violinist. He smiles and mouths what Erwin thinks might be a 'thank you', but his lips are clumsy and the three piercings on his lower one make it hard to tell. He takes the drinks to the blonde boy, setting it down along with his violin before returning with a cup for he and the redhead.

"If you don't mind me asking, are you completely deaf?" Erwin asks, unsure of whether to look at the musician or his female friend.

She echoes his words in sign to the raven, and he returns the gestures in a different pattern, too quick and flowing for Erwin to pick anything up, and even Hanji finds themselves squinting to try and see the individual movements.

"Yes," the redhead says, speaking as her friend signs, "He was sick as a baby and it made him lose all hearing by the age of two."

Erwin nods, thoughtfully, and though he certainly does want to learn more, he knows that now is not the best time. No doubt they want to get some place warm and drink their coffee.

"Can you tell him I think it's amazing he's learnt how to play, and do it so beautifully," Erwin tells the girl, who immediately repeats this to her friend.

Erwin doesn't miss the small redness appearing on the raven's cheeks, and he smiles up at the blonde, mouthing another clumsy 'thank you'. He takes a long drink of the coffee, black eyelashes fluttering with the taste and warmth of it heating him through already. 

"You guys have a safe night," Hanji waves, having to practically drag Erwin off by the arm he was so transfixed by the raven.

 

-

 

Boots were stomped free of snow by the door and coats left to drip dry above towels. Hanji and Erwin had collapsed onto the couch, laughing their way through half a season of The Big Bang Theory before the conversation rounded back to the musician and his friends.

"What do you think caused him to go deaf?" Erwin murmurs, brow knotted in thought.

"Could be any number of things," replies Hanji, "Any bacterial ear infection really. Perhaps meningitis if he was sick as a baby. If he's been out on the streets long enough, chances are he was born in slum or poverty and got sick."

"That's horrid to think about..." the blonde murmurs into his cup, "He's amazing. I bet producers would be dying to get their hands on a skill like his. And deaf? It's incredible."

"Yeah, but who wants a street kid, Erwin? No offense to the kid-I mean, I'm fascinated by how he's learnt it too, but people want attractive performers with a sob story."

"He _is_ attractive and he fell ill at a young age that made him lose his hearing, Hanji. Is that not enough?" Erwin shakes his head.

"Okay, so we've discovered you've already popped a boner for the deaf violinist," Hanji cackles, dodging a pillow Erwin threw at their head, "But he isn's some performing monkey. The Deaf Violinist sounds great on paper, Erwin dear, but I doubt he wants to be that. Those kids just want to survive."

Erwin nods slowly, eyes trained on the TV but not taking in the sound or colour. He couldn't take his mind of the violinist. Hanji was right – those three didn't want fame, they just wanted to be able to eat and sleep easy. Guilt drops a deadweight into his gut as he thinks of how well he and Hanji live between his work at the theatre, and their work at the local hospital alongside that, compared to them. Did they even have a place to go? The two hostels in the area had recently lost money and closed down. Were they squatting? Sleeping in alleys?

"Stop overthinking it, you dummy," Hanji grumbles, poking Erwin with their toe, "Best we can do is bring them something to eat and drink if they've had a slow day, alright? Remember, we don't know these kids. They could be ready to drag us into an alley and murder us, steal our credit cards?"

"Did you even see them, Hanji?" scoffs the blonde, "They were skinny as hell. The raven one had such tiny hands..."

"Alright, on that note, I'm going to bed before you start indulging yourself in that size kink you have," Hanji cackles, avoiding another pillow thrown her way.

"Fuck you," the blonde calls.

"You wish, hon."


End file.
